Release #14.58
August 4, 2014
 ALPA president Capt. Lee Moak and ALPA President’s Committee for Cargo chair Capt. Rich Hughey. |
ALPA Renews Call for One Level of Safety and Security for All-Cargo Flight Operations
WASHINGTON––The Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l (ALPA) President’s Committee for Cargo (PCFC) renewed its call today for including all-cargo airline operations under the same safety and security regulations that protect passenger airlines.
“A pilot is a pilot, no matter whether he or she is transporting people or cargo. All-cargo flights are flown by pilots who have the same certifications, share the same airspace, and operate the same equipment as passenger airlines,” said Capt. Lee Moak, ALPA’s president, following ALPA’s PCFC meeting, which took place today during ALPA’s 60th Air Safety Forum held in Washington, D.C.
“All-cargo flight operations deserve and demand the same level of safety and security as our industry applies to passenger airlines,” said Capt. Rich Hughey (FedEx), chair of ALPA’s President’s Committee for Cargo.
ALPA’s PCFC called for swift action on numerous items including efforts to:
• Fully regulate the
packaging, acceptance, handling, and required crew notification when
transporting dangerous goods including lithium batteries.
• Install main deck active fire suppression systems on all-cargo aircraft.
• Require aircraft rescue and firefighting protection and training at airports
serving FAR Part 121 all-cargo operations.
• Include all-cargo operations in science-based flight- and duty-time
regulations.
• Develop and implement a threat-based risk assessment for all-cargo shipments
on all U.S. carriers and their code sharing partners, both foreign and domestic.
• Require individuals having unescorted access to cargo aircraft, cargo, and
cargo facilities to undergo criminal history records checks.
“Achieving the PCFC’s ‘One Level of Safety’ goals is a top priority for ALPA,” concluded Capt. Moak. “The committee and its efforts have our union’s fullest support. We will work on Capitol Hill and Parliament Hill and with U.S. and Canadian regulators to achieve the PCFC’s safety and security goals to the benefit of everyone who relies on air transportation.”
Founded in 1931, ALPA is the world’s largest pilot union, representing more than 51,000 pilots at 31 airlines in the United States and Canada. Visit the ALPA website at www.alpa.org or follow us on Twitter @WeAreALPA.
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CONTACT: ALPA Media, 703/481-4440 or Media@alpa.org
